Tobacco harvesting machine



Ebb. 21, 19% A. J. BURKHART TOBACCO HARVESTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 28, 1945 x 2 8 9% 0 1 3 3 1 8 a0 1 5 F1 1 7 1 f L, 2 Z 5 m b M Q 1 w J HLLEA/JBZ/EK/MEZ Iatented Feb. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

A further object is to provide a machine of the kind mentioned that may. be operated or used as a hand power machine, but the machine is provided with suitable hangers whereby a small engine may be mounted thereon and used to drive the cutting elements of the machine, and, if, desired, the engine would also propel the machine,

A still further object is to provide a machine of the kind mentioned. that, is simple. in structure and yet the machine, is sturdy and substantial as well as inexpensive to build. These and other objects will be. more fully explained as. this. description progresses.

Now referring to the, accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a sectional and side view of the ma.- chine,. the view being taken along, the line II in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a front view of they machine.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating a motor drive, for the cutter.

Similar numerals of reference designate the same ,parts throughout the, several. figures of 'the drawings.

In the drawings is shown the machine as having an axle shaft I ii that is revolvably carried in a tubular axle housing element; I I. On the outer ends of the axle I0. is revolvably mounted a. pair of supporting wheels l2 and, I3.

Integrally formed on, or rigidly attached to, the tubular axle housing H, preferably by welding, is a pair of forwardly extending support or bracket elements l4 and 14a. To the bracket Ma is rigidly attached one end of a support'frame member I5 that extends forwardly and across the front of the machine, the other end of the frame member l5 rigidly connects. to a shaft bearing element l 6. To the bracket Ma is rigidly attached one end of a second support. frame member I I which rigidly connects toa second and lower shaft bearing member l8: The shaft hearing. members I6 and. I8 are rigidly fixed on a vertically positioned support bar l9. To the support bracket I4 is rigidly attachedone end of a supporting-frame member 20' which" extends forwardly and the other end thereof is rigidly conber l1..

Rigidly attached to the vertically positioned support bar [9 is a guide. plate 22 that is substantially triangular in shape, and is positioned with its base nearly parallel with the ground and the front point X thereof being tipped slightly downwardly. The guide plate 22 is curved and twisted so to form one side, of a chute or guide through which the tobacco stalks will pass as they are cut.

Rigidly mounted on the lower end of the support bar I9 is a cross support bar 23 that. projects outwardly and on which is rigidly mounted the lower end of a support standard 24. On the support standard 2 is rigidly mounted a second chute or guide plate 25 which is also substantially triangular in shape and is spaced away from the first guide plate 22 so as to provide a throat or passage 26. Between and due to the shape and position of the two plates 22 and 25 the throat opening 26 is wide at the front and narrows down at the rear. As the throat 2E progresses to the rear it curves to one, side and the top thereof curves still more to the same side so that tobacco stalks entering the throat 26 will progress rearwardly therein, and as the machine moves forward the tobacco stalks are cut off and will fall to one side of the machine and lay uniformly on the ground. Rigidly mounted on the support standard 24 is a series of curved outwardly and rearwardly extending fingers 21 that function to assist in guiding the falling tobacco stalks to their uniform lying position on the ground.

Vertically and revolvably positioned in the bearing members l6 and i8 is a shaft 28. On the upper end of the shaft 28 is rigidly fixed a collar 29 that rests on the bearing member 16 and functions to support the shaft 28 in a fixed position as it revolves.

Rigidly fixed on the lower end of the revolvable shaft 28 is a circular saw 30 that is rigidly held on the lowerend of the revolvable shaft 28 by means of a washer 3i and a nut 32 that is threaded on the lower end of the shaft 28. The saw 30 is large enough in diameter that the saw 30 crosses the entire width of the rear portion of the throat 2'6.

Rigidly mounted on the shaft 28 is a small V-belt pulley 33, and rigidly mounted on the supporting drive wheel lz 'isa. large V-belt drive- If it is desired to make the machine a power driven machine, the axle housing II is provided with a pair of depending leg elements 40 and 4| on which is supported an engine support frame 42. The frame 42 is provided with a forwardly extending brace member 43 the outer end of which rigidly joins with the lower. cross frame member I! and acts to stabilize the engine support frame Q2. An engine E may be mounted on the engine support frame 42 and a V-belt B may be run from the drive pulley P of the engine to the pulley 39 on the shaft 28. In this case, as the engine drives the shaft 28, the V-belt 35 will drive the pulley 34 to drive the wheel [2 which will propel the machine, or, if desired, the V-belt 35 may be dispensed with and the engine will axle housing member I I is a pair of handle hold- Through the support brackets l4 and Mo passes bolts 41 and 48 which also pass through the arouate slots 4t. lhis arrangement permits the handle mounts M and 45 to be rocked up or down to adjusted positions where the may be rigidly locked and held by the tightening of the nuts on the bolts 47 and d8.

Rigidly fixed in the handle mounts M and 45 is a pair of rearwardly extending handle elements 49 and having strut and brace members 5!, 52 and 53 therebetween to make the handle elements t9 and 5S rigid.

To prepare the machine for use, the nuts on the bolts M and 48 may be loosened and the handles 49 and 5B rocked to the right height to fit the person operating the machine.

The machine having thus been prepared, is pushed or propelled down the field so that the row of crop enters the throat or opening of the machine. The saw 3G engages and cuts the stalk and as the machine advances the front low pointed portion of the guide plates 22 and 25 run under the drooping leaves of the crop. As the machine further advances, the leaves are raised upward and the rear twisted portion of the guide plate 22 tips the cut crop to one side against the guide fingers 2? and guide the cut crop to a uniform lying position on the ground where it remains until such time as the crop is picked up and taken to a final place of curing and storage.

The crop being handled as above described,

4 described; the combination of an axle, a pair of wheels, one of said wheels having a belt pulley thereon, said wheels being revolvably mounted on said axle, a frame and an axle housing as a part thereof, said frame being rockably carried by said axle housing which is rockably mounted on said axle, and handle means for handling the machine, said handle means being rockably carried by the axle housing and means for rigidly attaching said handle means to the frame in adjusted vertical angular positions relative to the frame, a shaft, said shaft being vertically positioned and revolvably carried in bearings supported on said frame and at one side thereof, and pulley means on said shaft, a belt, said belt passing around and engaging the said pulley means on one of said wheels and the pulley means on said shaft for driving purposes between the wheel and the shaft, a circular saw, said saw being rigidly mounted on the lower end of the said shaft, a pair of substantially triangular shaped guide plates, said guide plates being supported by said frame and being spaced apart to form a throat therebetween and the base of the triangular shaped guide plates being positioned immediately above the saw and the saw spanning the width of the throat, the upper and rear portion of said guide plates curving rearwardly and outwardl from the pulleyed wheel of the machine, and one of said guide plates having outwardly and downwardly curving fingers carried thereon to guide and lay the cut crop on the ground.

2. In a tobacco harvesting machine of the kind described; the combination of an axle, a pair of wheels, one of said wheels having a belt pulley thereon, said wheels being revolvably mounted on said axle, a frame and an axle housing as a, part thereof, said frame being rockably carried by said axle housing which is rockably mounted on said axle, and handle means for handling the machine, said handle means being rockably carried by the axle housing and means for rigidly attaching said handle means to, the frame in adjusted vertical angular positions relative to the frame, a shaft, said shaft being vertically positioned and revolvably carried in bearings supported on said frame and at one side thereof, and pulley means on said shaft, a belt, said belt passing around and engaging the said pulley means on one of said wheels and the pulley means on said shaft for driving purposes between the wheel and the shaft, a circular saw, said saw being rigidly mounted on the lower end of the said shaft, a pair of substantially triangular shaped guide plates, said guide plates being supported by said frame and being spaced apart to form a throat therebetween and the base of the triangular shaped guide plates being positioned immediately above the saw and the saw spanning the width of the throat, the upper and rear portion of said guide plates curving rearwardly and outwardly from the pulleyed wheel of the machine, and one of said guide plates having outwardly and downwardly curving fingers carried thereon to guide and lay the cut crop on the ground, said frame also having a carriage thereon as a mount for an engine, said shaft having a second pulley thereon to receive a belt for delivering power from the engine to the said shaft for the rotary driving thereof.

ALLEN. J. BURKHART.

(References on following page) REFERENCES T ITED The following referenoes" Efof record in the file'of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Scranton Dec. 2, 1919 Number 8 Name Date Dupuis Dec. 20, 1932 Schatz Sept. 1, 1936 Thornton Oct. 11, 1938 Urschel Apr. 29, 1941 Poll May 27, 1941 Flook July 10, 1945 

